The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-04

answer always was, Il will be careful But
cannot discharge my duties and withdraw my
self entirely from danger of an assault: see
hundreds of strangers every day. and If any
body has the disposition to kin me he will find
opportunity To be absolutely safe, should
cock myself up in a box Threatening letters
lame, and these / always showed to Mr.. Lin
coin, who generally turned them over to the
War Department"
1 asked Col. Nicolay how much assistance he
and Hay had got from contemporary memories.
almost none at all, he said II remember
solitary of incident being told
which we did not know before and which had
certain value. AS rule those volunteering in
formation have been gentleman who did not
know Mr.. Lincoln very well, and on several oc-
casions the offer has been made thus: am am
and Lincoln were intimate friends and L can
tell you of several interesting things that you
will need etc. We have discovered that men,
honest and impartial cannot often recolect
any conversation with accuracy even a short
time a statesman, whom | Will call Brown,
had some very important correspondence with
Mr.. Lincoln in 1861, and went to him after be-
ginning this work In 1874 to find out about a
single point He denied ever having had any
such correspondence or ever having written to
Mr.. Lincoln concerning that matter or during
that time, and was quite astonished when pro-
duced half dozen of the letters. We have con-
cluded that, as a rue, mere unassiSted memory
OF pubEc or personal transactions is utterly I'M
reliable after a lapse of fifteen years. We do
not rely on tour own or that of others, unless
confirmed by accessible data. There will not
fences quoted from Lincoln for which we depend
wholly on memory-our own or anybody else's"
Lying around upon Col. Nicolays desks were
piles OF finished chapters In foolscap writing,
and he said that the entire work in manuscript
would be about two and half feet high when
laid thus upon the table.
Col Nicolsy talks as well as he writes; and
though born in Germany and reared by parents
whose mother tongue never fell into disuse, his
pronunciation and infection of speech are those
of native.
Col. Hay has returned from Europe and he is
once more IN his superb mansion on LAFAYETTE
Park. trying to recover from a serious cold
which he caught while in New York He and
Mrs. Hay spent the summer wholly in England.
going from cathedral town to another and
deliberately enjoying it He looks not a day
over forty. and with his black shock of hair and
soft full beard parted in the middle he is decid-
eGly a handsome man. He weighs, I should
think 1915 pounds more than his taller cola
borator. Clarence King, the geologist. was in
town yesterday, and. meeting Hay at the club
they had friendly spat over the Bacon -Shak-
speare controversy.
Stratford is not once mentioned in all Shak-
speare's works said King triumphantlv. s.while
St Adams, Bacons birthplace, is mentioned
more than thirty times."
Well said Hay Il have read The Survey
of the Fortieth Parallel through with great
care and it doesn't mention Brattleboro VT,
once"
THE Survey of the Fortieth PARALLEL is
Kings great work, and Brattleboro his native
town W. a. CRoFFUT.